Mangled phrases
Phrases people get wrong
Most of these are eggcorns: a phrase you have only ever heard, rebuilt out of words you already know. The substitutions are usually reasonable—deep-seeded really does sound like it means something—which is exactly why they spread. They just survive speech far better than they survive print.
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supposably omgstop.org/supposably
You mean supposedly. Supposably is a real word, and it does not mean that.
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for all intensive purposes omgstop.org/intensive-purposes
The phrase is “for all intents and purposes.” There is nothing intensive about it.
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couldn’t care less omgstop.org/couldnt-care-less
If you could care less, you care somewhat. That is the opposite of your point.
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nip it in the bud omgstop.org/nip-in-the-bud
It’s a gardening metaphor. No butts are involved.
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moot point omgstop.org/moot
Moot. Not mute. The point isn’t silent, it’s irrelevant.
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piqued my interest omgstop.org/piqued
Piqued. Not peaked, not peeked. Three homophones, one right answer.
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deep-seated omgstop.org/deep-seated
Seated, not seeded. Nothing was planted.
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home in omgstop.org/home-in
Home in, like a homing pigeon. Hone means to sharpen.
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sneak peek omgstop.org/sneak-peek
Peek. You are looking, not climbing a mountain.
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per se omgstop.org/per-se
Two Latin words. Neither of them is “say.”
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first-come, first-served omgstop.org/first-served
Served. The people are being served, not serving.
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bear with me omgstop.org/bear-with-me
Bear, as in endure. The other one is an undressing request.
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case in point omgstop.org/case-in-point
In point. Not and point. There aren’t two things.
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expresso omgstop.org/expresso
Espresso. There is no X. It is not express.